Malevolent Bliss
by Shadow's Firebird
Summary: A demon is on the loose, and Sebastian's after him. Unfortunately, Grell's getting in the way, so he's banished from the Reaper Realm and left alone in agony. But could his awful circumstances turn him into a hero that Sebastian could end up falling for?
1. Merciless

**Hoshi: FINALLY! A Kuroshitsuji fic!**

**Kage: Since your reviews are helping us continue Frozen in Flames, we decided to start putting up other stories in chapters!**

**Hoshi: These chapters will be rather short. We're just going to try and break it up by scenes, so some chapters will be tiny and some ENORMOUS!**

**Kage: Anyway, enjoy!**

The stinging cold surface of Will's baton-like Death Scythe struck Grell's cheek for what seemed like the hundreth time. On impact, the redhead was knocked back into the ground, an angry bruise on his pale flesh. Through pained tears he looked up at his superior, a pleading look in his deep emerald eyes.

"P-please, no more, Will-kun!" He shouted, struggling to get to his feet. The brunette was beating him much more severely than usual. A few teeth had already fallen out, and he may have fractured a rib from the harsh blows to his thin frame. He coughed up a bit of blood, trying to maintain his composure. "At least tell me why you're punishing me like this!"

Will showed absolutely no emotion in his expression as he stepped closer to the redhead. For a moment, his eyes narrowed, and he swung his scythe down into the man's head once more. Grell fell back on his rear, whimpering loudly. A trickle of crimson liquid curled out from under his hair. His superior merely curled his upper lip in distaste.

"You've got some nerve, demanding explanation for this, Grell. You should know well what you did wrong." He jabbed the shorter man's throat with his scythe, tilting his sharp chin back. Blood dripped from between Grell's puffy, bruised cheeks and tears from his tightly closed eyes. "You've been interfering with an important mission dealt to Sebastian Michaelis from the Death Reaper's Legislative Court. He's after a demon who's been evading our capture for centuries. Unfortunately, we've had to enlist vermin like him in order to seize the little rat."

"Sebas-chan is _not_ vermin!" Grell squealed, opening one eye partway.

Will rolled his eyes. "All demon are trash as far as I'm concerned. The point is, your constant barging in on him and bothering him everywhere he goes has been seriously dampening his ability to hunt this man inconspicuously. You were warned many times to stay away from him, but unfortunately for you, you didn't listen."

The redhead intertwined his fingers, clenching them together over his heart. "Not even the Court can keep me away from my dear Sebas-chan! The bonds of our passionate, star-crossed love are unbreakable by any man or beast!" He purred in delight to himself, imagining the handsome butler despite the many distracting lethal wounds embedded in his flesh.

"Grell, you're not listening." Will stepped on the man's head, shoving his face into the pavement in front of him. "You're deterring him from his mission. And clearly, you can't be trusted on your own devices to stay away from him. So the Council and I have been discussing your punishment, and have decided to strip you of your Reaper powers until Sebastian has finished his job."

"Wh…what? That's so cruel, William!" Grell cried, looking up from under the man's boot.

The brunette leaned down to glare more closely into the redhead's eyes. "You've been unreasonable lately, Grell. I hear you're visiting the Phantomhive estate at an average of twice a week, always uninvited. Your shenanigans have been adding onto the workload that Sebastian has to carry, and frankly I won't stand for it. I could care less about him, or you, but I want this damn demon captured, and if anyone can find a demon it's another of its kind. So until this man is caught, you will remain in your human form with no access to your powers, weapons, or anyone related to the Reaper world. Is that clear?"

Emerald eyes widened in fear. "Will, no! Don't do this to me!"

A sharp heel was dug into his scalp, drawing more blood. Will's glasses flashed as his lip curled back again. _"Is that clear, Grell?"_

Hot tears dripped onto the bloody pavement below. "You're so awful."

"Excellent." Will replied, smirking. He stepped off the redhead and onto the ground beside him. "Your punishment will be effective immediately. I hope you're grateful towards me, because the Council didn't want me to heal your wounds before I sent you to the human world. Lucky you, eh?"

A wash of heat overtook Grell's broken body, filling him with a pleasant sensation. In an instant, his teeth re-grew in his bloody jaw, his ribs repaired themselves, and the many cuts and bruises simply withered away. He sat up quickly, examining his body. Bright eyes looked up at Will as he realized what had just occurred.

"How kind, William-san! You must really care about me!" He cheered, lunging forward to grab the man's legs. With almost no effort involved, the brunette stepped aside, causing Grell to smash his face into the floor beside him.

"Don't touch me, scum," Will snarled, kicking him sharply in the stomach. "I'm not nice. I may have healed you, but that's because I got to choose where your helpless, pathetic little human body will end up when we decide to transport you"

Grell suddenly froze, once again nervous. "Wh…where did you chose?"

A gratified grin spread across the brunette's face. "Sleep, Grell Sutcliff. You'll find out when you wake up."

Suddenly, a dense haze fell over the redhead. His eyelids grew heavy, and his mouth fell slack. Drowsily, he glanced up at Will's steadily blurring face, his fear of the man slowly fading as he sunk into a deep repose.

**Kage: Um...here's the first chapter! Since our brother is harping on us, we're gonna wait until tomorrow to put up the next one!**

**Hoshi: So please look forward to future chapters!**

**Kage: Cause we have loads already done! ^_^**

**Both: REVIEW PLEASE!**


	2. Helpless

**Hoshi: Okay, I know these few chapters are short, but where a chapter starts and finishes is based entirely on when the scene changes.**

**Kage: The M rating will be proven in one of the future chapters. The next one is sort of an inclination. The following or the one after that are definitely worthy of AT LEAST an M rating.**

**Hoshi: So enjoy and look forward to the next chapters! ^w^**

"Oh my…look at the poor thing!"

"Has someone just left him out here?"

"Doesn't look like he's strong enough to defend himself. Maybe he was in a fight."

"He isn't injured. Maybe he fainted."

"Fainted naked? Yeah right. I'll bet you he was raped."

"Yeah, I mean…he's got such a pretty face…"

The sounds drifted foggily around Grell's head, barely tapping the hardened shell of his subconscious. As he began to notice them more though, the brutal grating noise of their voices stretched into his brain. He whimpered involuntarily, shifting his aching body a little. It suddenly occurred to him that he was lying on his back. Spiky gravel bit into the supple flesh of his unclothed frame, stinging his wavering mind back to earth. Slowly, he spread apart his crusted eyelashes, staring listlessly at the strands of viscous fluid that hung between the thin lids. His vision wasn't fully in focus, but he could make out several people standing around him. Their indistinct voices sounded worried, and interested. Moaning softly, he tried to move one of his half-numb hands. The appendage twitched a bit at first, but responded to his commands after a moment. He slid his fingers across the dirty ground, up to his own clammy chest. There was something cold and hard resting lightly on his skin. Awkward fingertips fumbled with the thin, compact frame of the object until he realized what it was. A pair of elegant glasses had appeared to him from somewhere, secured to his person by a glittering chain that hung around his neck. Shakily, he lifted the article onto his face, trying to clear his vision. The bystanders around him came into focus instantly, startling him a bit. He blinked hard, shakily sitting up. A round of gasps followed this simple action. Apparently, some of them had thought he was dead.

"Sir, are you alright?" A woman asked, crouching down next to him. Grell noted that her cheeks were a rather abashed shade of red, leading him to believe that she was shocked by something.

"Ah, yes…just fine…" The brunette rubbed his head, feeling a fierce migraine grip his skull for a moment. After a few seconds, the pain faded, allowing him to divert his attention to standing up. He moved groggily, his throbbing body not yet used to motion. Steadily, he got onto his knees, and then on his feet. His back was hunched and his knees bent, but he was standing. Panting a bit, he glanced up at the people around him. They looked quite intrigued, and also rather embarrassed. Grell, curious, looked down at his still pain-wracked form. Beneath his eyes was a completely bare, flawless white body. Even through his fog, he blushed hard, feeling quite exposed. He moved his trembling arms forward to shield his slightly numb privates. The sensation was stronger on his skin than he would have expected. It appeared that this fragile human body was more sensitive than his usual Reaper form. He bit his lip, feeling weak and vulnerable.

"Are you sure? You look like you've had a rough night," A man said, suddenly stepping through the crowd. Thick silver hair hung over his lovely young face, partially concealing his penetrating blue eyes. He pressed a warm hand onto Grell's shoulder, causing the smaller male to erupt in goose bumps. "My name is Ellis Vanderstelt. I'm the CEO of a large lumber corporation in this area. I'd be more than happy to provide you with some clean clothes and a doctor to check you out. I can't imagine what's happened to such a soft young man while he was lying on a city street."

Grell blushed hard, looking up at the purely radiant man. "O-oh…I can't stay at anyone's house right now. I um…I have…work to do."

Smirking, the elegant man whipped out a fan of crisp new notes, flaunting them to both Grell and the shocked crowd around them. "Whatever job you do, I can pay you double. If it's a matter of wanting work, I can enlist you as my personal assistant. I daresay you can follow orders, right?"

"Oh, yes! I-I used to be a butler!" The brunette exclaimed, standing up straighter.

As much as he would have preferred not to get involved with humans he didn't know, this Vanderstelt man had a point. If he was left alone, naked and weak on these busy streets, someone was sure to take advantage of him. At least this man seemed somewhat trustworthy. He had a believable face at least. Grell gave him his best eager expression as he waited for the man's reply.

"Fantastic. You can start immediately." Ellis gave him a warm smile, opening one side of his coat. "Now come here and get warm. I don't want you catching hypothermia on your first day."

Grell stepped over, blushing in honest flattery. He slipped into the velvet shelter of the man's white coat. Warmth rushed into his freezing body, causing him to sigh happily. Ellis chuckled, wrapping his arm around the brunette's frame and leading him down the street to a waiting carriage. The ebony door was pulled open by a short footman, who then proceeded to hop up onto the driver's seat. Ellis ushered the shivering man into the heat of the insulated carriage. He lightly patted the brunette's rear, laughing afterwards. Grell squeaked sharply, tripping into his seat as a result. His new master continued to chortle as he shut the door behind them, whistling to the footman to start driving. Mood lightened by Ellis' amusement, Grell smiled too, sitting down opposite his master. He was blushing lightly, rather infatuated by this wonderful new man. And maybe it would have benefited him to pay closer attention, but little to his knowledge, Ellis was blushing too.

**Kage: Sorry! That's all for now, folks!**

**Hoshi: We'll probably get the next chapter up sometime this weekend. It'll be a little longer than this one. Maybe.**

**Kage: At least know that the ones after it get longer.**

**Hoshi: And jucier. XD**

**Both: PLEASE REVIEW!**


	3. Ruthless

**Hoshi: Ooh-ho! If you didn't like Grell abuse, skip this chapter!**

**Kage: That's all we're saying! The prelude to the M rating! XD**

**Both: Enjoy!**

The brunette's face was bright red as he examined the outfit he was given. He fondled the shimmering garments in his hands, a little disturbed as to the small amount of fabric that made them. What he was holding was a very small gypsy bikini top and a short little matching skirt. They were a lovely blood red, with tiny black tassels hanging from the ends and black artistic stitching in the main parts of the apparel. Admittedly, they probably would've looked quite good on him. But he was in a helpless human's body right now, which was just too easy to injure or break. His master could easily do something unspeakable to him, and he wouldn't be able to do a thing about it. Grell wasn't sure he wanted to wear something so skimpy around a man that he'd just met, even if he was absolutely gorgeous. Not quite Sebastian, but definitely good-looking. He glanced meekly up at his master, nibbling his lip lightly.

"S-sir…must I really wear this?" His tone was polite and his words carefully chosen, better suited to the dialect of an assistant.

"I think you'd look beautiful in it, Grell-san. I do like gypsies quite a lot." Gently, he took the man's hand, cupping his slender chin in the other one. "You would make such a cute gypsy, don't you think? I promise, I'll restrain myself from embracing you as much as I can. You'd just be so lovely dressed like this…"

This definitely boosted the man's ego. Grinning wide, he looked down at the clothes. "Y…you really think so? Well, alright. Um…I'll put it on."

He giggled, setting the clothes down on a nearby desk. Carefully, he pulled the tight skirt over his hips and onto his waist, feeling it slide down to hug the gentle curves of his body. The top came on next, stretching a bit to fit around his outstretched arms. He tied it loosely in the back, the garment falling perfectly onto his slim chest. Ellis stared at him, swallowing a bit. He grinned wide, stepping up behind his hot young assistant.

"My, that looks spectacular," He purred. "Perhaps we should decorate your hair a bit. And I think some jewelry would compliment the outfit well."

Grell, greatly excited at the prospect of glittery things to wear, clapped with glee. He gave his master an adorable contradictory look, knitting his eyebrows together a bit.

"Are you sure you don't run a fashion company, Mister Vanderstelt? You sure have an eye for it." The brunette giggled again, crossing his arms behind his back.

"Why thank you, Grell-chan." Ellis took his hand, stepping towards the doorway. "Let's play with your look a little, hm?"

The two walked into an adjacent closet, the room widely spacious and full of flashy costumes. Grell wondered for a moment why this man owned so many articles of women's clothing, but soon stopped caring. He was far too distracted by the contents of the room. Everything seemed to catch his eye as he leapt into the sea of shining, shimmering objects. Ellis watched, very entertained, as his assistant picked up a variety of jewelry, most of it red and black. In moments, Grell was nearly covered in bangles and beads. Deciding to intervene before he destroyed the room, the silverette stepped forward, touching the man's shoulder.

"Grell-chan, why don't you just wear a few? I think those would look good with your clothes." He gestured to some of the black and red beaded bracelets that were on the man's wrists.

The brunette pouted. "Fine. But can I wear some on my ankles? Oh, and I want a choker too! I love those!"

Ellis chuckled. "Of course. Dress up to your heart's content. Once you've got what you want, I'll put your hair up for you."

Grell cheered with joy, returning to his spree of trying on the various objects. A deep, happy warmth had filled his body. Maybe it was this man, or the jewelry, but something about this moment was making him feel more blissful than he had in a long time. He could tell, he'd made a good decision in trusting this man. Every moment or so, he'd glance up to see those cascading blue eyes observing him, enjoying his excitement. It made him blush hard every time. Quickly, he finished putting on the necklaces, anklets and chokers that he'd wanted, eager to show his master. At the sight, Ellis clapped politely.

"How pretty. Now come here, let me see your hair."

Grell obediently stepped over, smiling wide. His master reached over to a nearby vanity and picked up a hairbrush. Gently, he ran the bristles through his assistant's long, chocolate brown hair, trailing the brush down to the man's waist. The smaller man trembled at the contact. Grinning, Ellis continued, combing the silky hair until it floated like smoke, completely devoid of knots. Then he pulled most of it back into a ponytail, tying it with black elastic. Once the bunch was secure, he began stringing beads into some of the few remaining strands of hair, the plastic red and black like the rest of his outfit. At the end of each stream of beads, he clipped the ends into Grell's hair, creating lovely trails of bright color through the dark brown. He did the same in a few places in the man's ponytail, enjoying the free style of his look. Once he was done, he reached down to Grell's delicate ears, clipping an earring onto each side. Grinning, he stepped back to admire his handiwork. The young man before him looked positively immaculate. Ellis had no idea what his fascination with gypsies was, but it was clearly obvious that he liked their style. He swallowed hard, reaching forward to grab his assistant's slender hips.

"Oh, I-I've been meaning to ask you, sir," Grell blurted, his face red. "Um, where are my underwear? I thought this skirt would come with a pair, but..."

An evil look spread across the silverette as he leaned down to whisper in the man's ear. "You won't be wearing any."

Suddenly, Grell was flipped back onto the floor, his master pinning him in an instant. To shocked to think, the brunette just trembled as he looked up into the narrowed eyes of the man atop him. Ellis leaned down, running his tongue along his assistant's thin jaw. At the touch, Grell's eyes widened in fear.

"M-Master?" He squeaked.

"I know who you are, Grell," Ellis whispered, nibbling his ear. "You're a Shinigami. A Death Reaper. And I know that you're on probation."

The smaller man looked utterly terrified. "H…how did you know that?"

"I'm on the council that ordered your punishment, dumbass." He nipped at the man's frail neck, panting into the skin. "I'm one of the highest ranked reapers in our entire region. I helped write your sentence. And according to the fine print I'm sure you neglected to read, you're not allowed to come into contact with anyone from our realm. That includes me."

"I didn't get any contract or anything!" Grell exclaimed.

"Your superior signed it for you."

A surge of rage towards Will gripped the man for a moment. How could he hide something so important from him? However, this feeling only lasted a moment, as Ellis resumed assaulting his neck. Trembling, he grabbed the man's shoulders, attempting to push him away. He found though, that he didn't have even a tenth of the strength he did as a Reaper. Ellis' taut body didn't move an inch.

"You're weak, Grell. All your strength was in your powers." He ran a hand down the man's slender hip. "So for your own sake, I suggest you let me do what I want. If I can't kill you as a human, I can report to the Council, and they can do worse than kill you as a Reaper."

"No! Don't you dare!" Grell shouted, kicking his legs. They weakly slapped into the man's groin, only causing Ellis to moan softly.

"You're so cute," The silverette whispered, squeezing Grell's tender ass. "Just close your eyes if you're scared, sweetheart. You're all mine now."

Tears poured down the helpless man's face as his skirt was slowly lifted away from his delicate body. Through the hot, blurry liquid, he could see a sharp-toothed grin on the face of the man he'd trusted. And before he could blink the saline out of his eyes, those teeth sunk deep into the flesh of his hip. He screamed as the blood gushed from the wound.

"Please, no!"

**Kage: Ooh, a cliffhanger!**

**Hoshi: Wouldn't Grell be cute as a gypsy? *giggles***

**Kage: Anywho, please review!**

**Hoshi: And tell us what you think! The next chapter will be longer, and then longer! XD**

**Kage: Unforunately, we only have two chapters on hand, and the update schedule will probably end up like the one for Frozen in Flames.**

**Hoshi: Meaning one chapter whenever the hell we manage to get one done.**

**Both: *dodge tomatoes, running back into their writing hole***

**Both: REVIEW PLEASE!**


	4. Flawless

**Kage: Yay! A longer chapter!**

**Hoshi: Unfortunately, the chapter after the next one (or the one following that) will not be put up for quite some time.**

**Kage: We noticed some HUGE plot holes that need filling with some decent dirt. So sorry, but please refrain from throwing tomatoes at us!**

**Both: Enjoy!**

"Sebastian, please remind me why we're going to go see this man," Ciel snarled, glancing up at him. "I don't want to waste my time with such a trivial matter."

"I've told you before, my lord, this man has a wonderful business offer for our company," Sebastian said mildly, "If we can work out a contract with him, we could get a large supply of lumber from him. That could be extremely useful in developing new toys."

The bluenette sighed, resting his cheek against his hand. "I don't like these CEO types. All they want is money and women."

Sebastian smiled "I promise, we won't surrender a single penny to him, and I'll be sure to keep Mey-Rin safe."

"You'd better. Don't let him try anything funny."

"I swear on my life."

Suddenly, the carriage came to an abrupt stop, jostling the passengers inside it. Finnian hopped down from his seat by the other servants, dashing around to open the door for his master.

"We're here, my lord!" He exclaimed, looking exuberant as usual.

Sebastian ruffled his hair. "Thank you, Finni. We appreciate the effort."

The blonde looked immensely proud. "Th-thank you, Sebastian-sama!"

Just as he left to go get Mey-Rin and Baldroy, he bumped into someone. The impact was so sudden that he didn't realize who he'd run into. Immediately, he yelped in surprise, hasty to correct his mistake.

"I'm so sorry!" He exclaimed. Worried, he looked up to see if he'd hurt the person he'd bumped into. Though he would sometimes knock people into the concrete, he seemed to have just tapped this person enough to force the wind out of them. However, this was no ordinary person. A beautiful creature in red and black was standing before him, most of their pale skin revealed to his young eyes. This being struggled to steady themselves, their startled face concealed behind a black veil. Finni's eyes widened at the sight of their lovely form.

"M…My apologies as well," The person whimpered, trying not to speak too loudly. "I came out to escort the young Earl into my master's home. I-I am an assistant after all."

"W…wow…" Finni stood up immediately, taking their hand. "You're beautiful, miss! Really, I've never seen anything like you!"

This stranger looked fearfully into the teen's red face, pulling their hand away quickly. "I-Im sorry, young man, I really must get to my duties. Nice to meet you."

Finni watched as the resplendent creature dashed away, careful to take rather short steps so as not to allow their skirt to fly up. He sighed happily, his eyes tracing the slender legs as they disappeared from sight.

"Finni? Are you alright?" Mey-Rin asked, stepping over to him.

The blonde gave her a dreamy look. "I think I'm in love."

"Don't flirt with the help again, Finni," Baldroy warned. "There's always some sexy lady tempting you. You've got to have self control, especially around these rich types." His face suddenly softened as he sighed happily. "Those lovely creatures are unavoidable."

"Please try not to focus on what you might see. Only on what you should be doing," Ciel snapped, stepping out of the carriage. He walked past his servants, going up ahead of them like the stubborn boy he was.

The three eagerly chased after him and Sebastian, who kept up with his quick-footed steps without a problem. By the time they made it to the doors of the large estate they were visiting, they were nearly panting from the strain. They coughed lightly as they passed through the entryway, glancing around at the lavish decorations. Mey-Rin's eyes widened, her face red with joy.

"How elegant! The people here do such a wonderful job of cleaning, yes!" She shrilled, stopping to examine a lovely tapestry.

Ciel tapped his cane loudly on the ground. "Focus, Mey-Rin. Please."

The pinkette trembled, nodding vigorously. "Yes, my lord!"

"Oh, you must be the Earl Phantomhive. How nice it is to meet you."

Ciel looked up to see a man with silver hair approaching him, a warm grin on his fair-skinned face. He had the features of a man who ran a powerful business, giving the boy reason to believe that this was the CEO that he was to have a meeting with. He bowed, Sebastian following suit behind him.

"The pleasure's all mine sir. I take it you're Ellis Vanderstelt?" Ciel asked politely.

"Indeed I am," Ellis replied, also bowing. "Why don't you come into my study? I've asked my assistant to prepare a few things to eat while we chat."

Sebastian smiled darkly. "So long as they cook with no ill intentions, we'd be happy to partake."

Ellis chuckled. "I should hope my dear Iris knows what to do. I've been instilling every bit of training into her that I can."

"Iris?" Finnian wondered, his mind returning to that lovely woman he'd seen earlier. She was dressed like a gypsy, with the body of a brown-haired angel. Drool coated his lips at the images.

"My assistant," Ellis answered, opening the door to his study. "Please, come in. I daresay you must be eager to talk."

The group filed into the room, finding respective places to sit. Ciel sat upright on a lovely velvet couch while Ellis lounged carelessly in his own high-backed chair. He seemed completely comfortable. This irritated the bluenette greatly.

"So what are you willing to offer my company in exchange for a percentage of our wood-based product profits?" Ciel got right to the point, wanting to skip pleasantries if he could.

The silverette smirked. "Ah, yes, that. Are you sure you wouldn't like to relax before we talk about such unappetizing things? Wouldn't you like to have a drink? See some entertainment?"

This piqued everyone's interest. Baldroy paused for a moment, his cigarette floating inches from his mouth. "Entertainment?"

"Yes, I've arranged a small performance for you, if it is to your liking," The CEO said, grinning with pointed teeth.

"What do you think, my lord?" Sebastian asked lightly. "It could prove to be amusing."

Ciel sighed, mindful of his servants' curiosity. He gave Ellis an angry glare, his arms crossed. "Fine. But this had better be worth it, or you'll wish you had rented a bandstand for us."

The man laughed heartily, pleased by the boy's spirit, "Don't worry, Ciel-sama. This will definitely be worth your while." He lifted a small bell, ringing it with two fingers. "Oh Iris-chan! Why don't you come in here and greet our guests?"

Slowly, the door opened, and the beautiful creature that Finnian had seen was back. Its face was covered by thin silk, but its body was quite exposed. At the sight of this person, Baldroy nearly dropped his cigarette.

"Woah! I didn't think we had gypsy princesses in Europe!" He exclaimed.

The individual blushed, looking away. It seemed that they were attracting more attention than they would have liked. However, unlike his chef, Ciel was less than pleased with this new arrival.

"What, is this a strip show?" He spat. "I don't care about your dirty women. I came here to do business with you, not get a hard on from your little pet."

"I would never peg you as that repulsive type, my good sir," Ellis replied calmly. "Iris here is from a foreign country. She was a fabulous dancer growing up, but was captured and nicked from her home by a man who only wanted her for her body. Unfortunately, I didn't find her until after her captor had thrown her on the street. I couldn't allow such a lovely lady to be treated as filth, so I took her in."

The gypsy behind him nodded in an assuring way. "Y-yes. I am…grateful to my master. For saving me."

Her voice was forced, but civil nonetheless. No one but Sebastian and Ciel seemed to notice the strain in her flattering words. They silently agreed to ignore it for the time being, allowing Ellis to continue his monologue.

"In return for a happy, safe home, Iris works as my assistant," The silverette continued. "And when she's not working, she dances. It's a truly remarkable thing to see. As a treat to you, and for her, I asked that she perform for you on this afternoon."

Before he could protest, Baldroy and Finnian jumped up to kneel at Ciel's feet. Their hands were clasped together beneath their chins, both of their faces contorted in a desperate pleading.

"Please, young master! Please let her perform!" They begged frantically.

The bluenette sighed heavily, pouting a bit. "Whatever. What harm can it do?"

"Excellent." Gleeful, Ellis got up. He walked around to a nearby cupboard and opened it, pulling out a rather modern gramophone. It had cone-like speakers on either side, and the spool that he popped into it was more compact and shinier than a normal music reel. He seemed rather boastful about it as he set it on a table. Grinning, he lifted the needle, setting it down in the first groove on the reel. Just before the music started, he glanced over at Iris, giving her a snarling, torturous message with his glare. 'You'd better dance, or I'll fuck your eyes out.'

Iris whimpered, biting hard into her lip beneath her veil. She stepped into a more open part of the room as the music began. Unlike a normal gramophone, the notes were crisp and clear, a smooth Indian rhythmic beat floating out of the speakers. The gypsy took a deep breath, trying steady her heart. She slipped into the music as the notes grew louder and more intricate. Gradually, the elegant naked feet began gliding across the carpet, the limber arms swaying in time with the melody. The beads in her hair and on her body glittered expertly in the light from the lamps. Iris knew how to use the lighting to her outfit, and she should. For the last four weeks, the poor gypsy had been learning to dance in these clothes, under the threat that her weak body would be raped even harder and more cruelly that it had so far. Little known to the guests, under Iris' minimal clothing was a multitude of painful cuts and bruises. The wounds were quite unpleasant rubbing against the fabric of her clothes, but the gypsy continued to dance. And despite how inexperienced she was, the guests seemed to be enjoying it immensely.

"_Oh god…"_ Baldroy thought, his strong hands slipping down to his lap to conceal his growing erection. His groin was warming up quickly. Saliva coated his lips as he watched the thin, curved ass and hips rolling beneath the sexy little skirt. He was fighting back the urge to pant, his eyes practically mauling the lovely white skin.

Finnian was in no better shape. His eyes were wide and glossy, locked on the slender, lithe chest that twisted and swayed with the beat. A tender looking belly wove tantalizingly between the black and red bits of fabric. The blonde licked his lips at the sight, his face bright red.

"_She's so pretty…"_ He murmured in his head, very engrossed in the performance. _"Such flawless, pale skin. I'll bet it's as soft as velvet…"_

Sebastian, Ciel and Mey-Rin were not as enthralled, but were definitely a bit impressed. The pinkette's cheeks were rosy with admiration, and a bit of jealously at the gypsy's ability to move. Ciel looked rather annoyed with having to sit through the show, and Sebastian was watching with interest. As Iris turned towards him, he caught her eye. And using his inhuman perceptive vision, he could detect a bright blush on the creature's cheeks behind her veil. He grinned in amusement. It seemed that he'd managed to snatch another heart. However, he may be able to have fun with this one for once. He could already smell that she wasn't entirely human, and it was clear that she wasn't enjoying doing what she was. That always made someone easier to manipulate; the ability to dangle happiness just out of their grasp.

After a few more moments, the song came to a stop, the needle ceasing it's trek across the grooved reel. Once it was quiet again, Iris stopped, taking a small bow. Ciel's servant's clapped enthusiastically, he and Sebastian adding some polite praise along with them. Ellis grinned, looking up at his lovely assistant. His legs were crossed, and his hands were resting lightly in his lap. Iris could see blood already pooled at his neck, creeping up to his face.

"Thank you Iris-chan," He said brightly. "Why don't you go to your quarters for a while? I'd like to talk to you when our guests leave."

The sudden hitch in the gypsy's breathing was not unnoticed by the people in the room. She struggled to calm herself down quickly, not wanting Ellis to get mad. Soft squeaks of terror escaped plush lips behind the veil. Instantly irritated, the silverette narrowed his eyes, silently warning Iris to pull herself together before something bad happened. Quickly, the gypsy bowed, dashing out of the room.

"Aww…bye, bye, Iris…" Finnian blurted softly.

Ciel leaned to Sebastian, speaking in an intentionally audible whisper. "Could you please go get my jacket from the carriage?"

This was a code phrase that Ciel often used when speaking with his butler in front of others. It told the man that his master wanted him to research whatever suspicious occurrence had just happened. The demon grinned, leaning closer to speak softer.

"The carriage is in back of the house. It may take a while to find it."

'_Please permit me some time to do this,'_ is what Ciel interpreted. The bluenette smiled.

"It's alright. I'm quite cold," Ciel replied quietly.

Sebastian grinned, receiving the signal to take more than a few minutes to do whatever he needed to do. He stood up, exiting the room hastily. However, he stopped to poke his head through the doorway, smiling warmly.

"I'll be back in a moment, I need to fetch my master's coat," He said earnestly. Then he looked over at Mey-Rin, Baldroy and Finnian, his expression now a little more warning. "I ask that you three please behave yourselves while I'm gone."

The servants nodded vigorously, now quite terrified of the butler. He grinned ominously, exiting the room.

**Hoshi: Ooh, guess what?**

**Both: LEMON NEXT CHAPTER!**

**Kage: Yup, the scene where this story gets its M rating.**

**Hoshi: And it's so long, we split it into two chapters.**

**Kage: So please look forward to some Sebby-ness!**

**Hoshi: And scaredy-Grelly-ness**

**Both: REVIEW PLEASE!**


	5. Defenseless

**Hoshi: Yay! Longer chapter!**

**Kage: Be prepared for yaoi. Lotsa yaoi.**

**Hoshi: Yeah, this chapter is where the story gets its M rating.**

**Both: Enjoy!**

'_Oh God…Sebastian's here…'_ Grell thought, wandering down the quiet hallway. _'I'll be in so much trouble if he finds out who I am…'_

"Excuse me, miss?"

The deep purr of the demon's voice was unmistakable. Grell felt his blood boil, but his heart quivered unpleasantly at the idea that he could be in danger for coming into contact with the man. Impulsively, he broke into a run, trying to get away from the butler. However, his efforts were futile, and he knew it. If Sebastian really wanted to talk to him, he would have absolutely no trouble catching the brunette. And as he expected, the footsteps he had heard behind him were suddenly coming from a few yards ahead. The demon came into view a second too late. Even though Grell tried to slow down, his scantily clad body collided with Sebastian's solid chest.

"Oof!" He yelped, almost falling back. Before he could slip however, a pair of strong hands secured his arms.

"I apologize, my lady," Sebastian breathed smoothly. "But I wondered if I could have a brief word with you."

Grell struggled to keep his face hidden beneath his veil, hoping that his terrified voice was masked enough. "U-um…I'm sorry, I c-can't talk to our guests without permission. I should go."

He tried to back away from the demon, but Sebastian had a strong hold on his elbows. The butler smiled seductively, bowing down just a bit to be below eye level.

"Miss Iris, is it? Please, I just need to talk to you about a few things. I promise, I mean you no harm."

Heat flooded Grell's face, and he attempted to look away. "No, really. I can't…"

Sebastian sighed. "Alright. You leave me no choice."

Gently, he lifted a hand to cup the gypsy's chin, smiling at Grell through his veil. Then he lowered his face down to the pale, smooth neck. Goosebumps erupted all over the man's body as he felt hot breath shock his skin.

"A-ah…" The brunette squeaked, tilting his head back.

"I'm begging you, _please_ allow me just a moment of your time," Sebastian whispered hotly. He pressed his lips against the shivering flesh, leaving feather-light kisses against the man's throat.

Grell's body was on fire. It was all he could do to keep from fainting. "A-alright, just f-for a moment…"

Sebastian pulled away, smiling in a tantalizing manner. "Would you like me to continue this a bit more? Perhaps we could go to a more private room for our talk."

"M-my master would be very angry if he found out about something like that!" The brunette squeaked helplessly, both terrified and extremely enthralled that he might get to feel Sebastian touching him like this again. He weighed his options as quickly as he could. On one hand, he could be punished not only by Ellis but by the Council for coming into contact with Sebastian. On the other hand, the butler didn't know it was him, and might end up resorting to trying to "sex" information out of him. Grell had only spent his entire history of knowing Sebastian trying to get into the man's pants. He swallowed hard, looking away with a crimson face. "H-however…i-if it's a matter of importance to the Phantomhives, perhaps he will allow it…"

"Thank you miss," He replied, taking Grell's hand gently. "If you would be so kind as to lead us to a more secluded place."

Grell nodded, walking with trembling feet down the hallway. He turned a corner at the end, wondering vaguely where to go. If he went to his quarters, Ellis would find him immediately. Where to go that he would never look? Hmm…he'd search any other rooms first, down to the last broom cupboard. However…he'd never expect…

"In here, sire," Grell chirped, opening the door to his master's room. 'ELLIS' was painted in curling black letters on the wood.

Sebastian smirked, following behind the brunette. They had walked into a large master bedroom, with big bureaus and a huge canopy bed in the center. Everything was painted in deep, chilling shades of purple. The butler sat calmly on the bed, patting the blankets lightly to signal to Grell to sit by him. Grell whimpered internally, taking his designated seat.

"What did you want to talk about?" He asked timidly.

"I wanted to know who you really are, and why you work for mister Vanderstelt. It's obvious that you're of no foreign decent. Your English is too perfect, and your skin tone and body shape are native to this general region. And you seem to be a smart child. You should know that you'll gain nothing from this man."

Grell bit his lip at the man's deceptiveness, blushing deeply. However, he was unable to lock eyes with the seductive butler. "I'm sorry, I can't tell you that."

The demon made himself look perplexed. "Why ever not?"

"M-my master would get angry," Grell squeaked.

"Why not leave him then?" Sebastian wondered.

"He would find me, and be angrier. I've got no one to go to, and I don't want him mad at me for giving you information."

"I can get you out of here," The butler said quietly, his voice completely earnest.

As much as he wanted to say yes, Grell knew that getting involved with Sebastian could be very, _very_ bad for him. "N-no, I'm sorry. I shouldn't even be telling you any of this right now."

"I think you should tell me everything," Sebastian whispered, leaning closer to the brunette. "Because honestly, would he be angrier that you were speaking with the Phantomhive butler…" He quickly grabbed the man, flipping him onto his back and climbing on top of him. His voice came out as a low purr. "…Or sleeping with him?"

Grell's eyes widened massively. _'Oh no, oh no, oh no…this is way too good to pass up! How can I deny the pleasure of making love to _Sebastian? _Oh god, he's on top of me! His lips are so close to mine! Screw the Council, I'm going to faint!'_

"P-please sire, don't do anything rash!" He squeaked, sounding rather unconvincing. "If my master found out I'd…!"

"He won't find out," Sebastian drawled, leaning down to nip at Grell's ear. He reached around behind the sheets of chocolate hair to undo his veil, casting the garment to the floor. "After you tell me what I need to know, I'll whisk you away from here. And your master won't ever have to know."

"B-but sir…" Grell whimpered. He wanted so badly to give into his sexual desire, but the idea of being brutally punished by the Council was weighing on his conscience. "I c-could get in more trouble than you can possibly imagine. I shouldn't be talking to you at all right now. Please, don't…"

Sebastian grinned maliciously. "Alright then. I'll stop when you tell me what I want to know."

He began kissing along Grell's soft neck, nibbling the pale flesh gently as he moved. The brunette could have shrieked, both with surprise and utter euphoria. Sebastian was kissing him! His lips were _on_ him! Oh, if only he were his usual self right then, he would have responded with massive enthusiasm. _'Oh please, up a little closer! Let me kiss you back!'_ He thought eagerly. With little restraint, he slithered down a bit so that Sebastian paused. When the gypsy stopped, his lips were mere inches away from the man's. At this, the butler chuckled.

"You _want_ me to?" He asked darkly, running a gloved hand down his cheek. "How about this then? The more you tell me, the further I'll take you."

_'Shit, shit, shit!'_ Grell's entire frame was trembling violently. _'What do I do?'_

"P-please, sir, I – " The brunette's final weak protest was cut off by a pair of skilled, velvet lips.

Sebastian ran his hands down the gypsy's stomach, feeling the thin body arch up to his touch. He kissed deeply, almost grinning into the motions. Even through his gloves he could feel goosebumps erupting across the pale skin.

"Tell me where you're from," He whispered, his voice muffled slightly through Grell's lips.

'_Ahh! Shit, say nothing!'_ Grell wailed in his head, his entire form positively aflame. It was almost entirely impossible to keep his true self from showing through the mask of a timid assistant. In seconds, he would lose his composure. His heart was hammering violently behind his ribs, as if it were trying to break free of its cage in his chest. He whimpered softly as he felt strong teeth gently nibbling his lower lip.

"I-I'm from London…" He squeaked quietly, his voice cracking.

The demon grinned wide. "Good girl."

_'Oh god! This is so amazing! I'm going to pass out!'_ Grell panted, trying to catch his breath as Sebastian pulled away. _'He kissed me! I just made out with Sebastian! If only Will could see me right now, I'd flip him off with both hands! Kyah hah ha!'_

Suddenly, he felt a soft hand proceeding up his shirt. His eyes widened, darting up to meet the red eyes of his delicious butler. Sebastian was grinning, looking absolutely malicious.

"Where would you like me to touch you?" He whispered, his fingers skittering like spiders across the exposed parts of Grell's skin.

The brunette shuddered. "W-wait…please…" He swallowed hard, deliberating as quickly as he could. _'If Sebastian finds out that it's me, he'll kill me for sure. When he realizes that I'm not a girl, then he'll know something's wrong. But…what if I tell him I'm not?'_ He choked out a few soft words. "Y-you don't w-want to continue. I…I'm…"

"You're what?" The demon asked sweetly, very pleased that the gypsy was giving him more information.

"I-I'm actually a man," Grell whispered, his eyes tightly clenched shut. "My m-master forces me to dress like this for his own perverse reasons."

This surprised Sebastian a little, but he seemed mostly unfazed. "Oh really? How odd. It seems that your master and I have…similar fetishes…" He leaned down to nip the man's ear, purring softly into it. "Your gender matters not to me. If anything, it gives me the advantage. You see…" Without hesitation, his hand shot down to the waistband of Grell's skirt. "I know where a man is sensitive."

Grell was trembling harder than he ever had. His face was crimson, and his mind was bouncing around his head like a rogue bullet. Sebastian hadn't found anything suspicious about him being male. This was a very good sign. Maybe…maybe he would end up having the information sexed out of him! _'Damn…oh damn! Please, touch there!'_

"A-are you sure you want to do this to another man?" Grell squeaked softly.

"Are you sure you want another man to do this to you?" The butler retorted, grinning wide.

Almost smiling, the brunette bit his lip. "Y-yes. Please."

"Well then, let's continue our little game." Sebastian grabbed the hem of the gypsy top, tugging it up and over Grell's head. His pale chest was now exposed, glistening with sweat. The demon smirked. "Let me ask you a few more questions."

Grell let out a sharp cry as the smooth gloves of his hands ran up his chest, brushing over his nipples. The fingertips wasted no time, going right to work on the pert nubs. They were pinched and rolled delicately, sending hot jolts to the man's groin. He moaned low, his voice cracking as he felt warm breath on his ear. A soft whisper broke through the beautiful haze of lust that was clouding his mind.

"Why do you work for Ellis?" Sebastian inquired.

The brunette whimpered softly, "He abducted me."

In response to this, Sebastian locked his lips onto the man's jaw, starting to brush his groin with his knee. A harsh moan replied to this. The man was losing all resolve.

'_Oh god, I want more! I'll tell you anything!'_

"How did he abduct you?" Sebastian blurted. "Did he beat you?"

"N-no…" Grell whimpered, feeling that hot mouth progress down his neck to his collar. "I woke up n-naked on the streets. He found me and offered me a home. Th-then he asked if I…ah…" Sebastian nibbled on the slender bone in the man's upper shoulder. "I-I would be his assistant. Then he blackmailed me into being his sex toy."

Sebastian was very pleased by this bit of information. If this man had such dirt on him that he'd resort to sexual favors to keep it secret, it must have been bad. He immediately moved his lips down to the man's nipple, sucking and biting at it. The lithe gypsy beneath him squirmed, shrieking loudly. Slowly, skilled hands pulled his skirt off, revealing a naked and rather erect length. He grinned into the man's flesh, placing his fingertips at the curves in his pelvis.

"What blackmail did he use?"

This was where Grell knew he had to stop. However, he was growing needy. Sebastian just _had_ to continue or he'd surely die. He was going to drown in his own consuming heat. Breathing heavily, he choked out a few words. "I-I can't tell you that."

Completely undeterred, the butler grinned, pulling his lips away. "Are you sure?" Slowly, he moved lower, until he was breathing heatedly only inches away from the man's quivering length. The telltale smile on his face was all Grell needed to see to know his intentions.

"Oh please…" He whimpered. _"Please._"

The ruby tongue slipped past his lips, just barely moving close enough to touch the head of his erection. It traced the moist tip, every light brush causing the brunette to squeak loudly.

"What blackmail did he use?" Sebastian repeated.

"H-he found out I was on probation!" Grell choked out. "I wasn't allowed to come into contact with his kind and he knew it, so he threatened to tell the Council if I didn't do what he said!"

Satisfied, the butler covered him instantly, sucking ravenously on his throbbing length. Grell nearly screamed, biting hard into his fist to keep the flow of noise back. He was getting close already, the mere sight of Sebastian down between his legs making him hotter than he had ever been. He dug his hands into the bed sheets as he felt that amazingly skilled tongue teasing him, rubbing and licking at the perfect spots, exactly as his body wanted to feel it. His stomach was tightening quickly. He would release any moment now, he knew it, he was so close…

Without warning, Sebastian pulled away, and a sudden blast of cool air weakened Grell's arousal slightly. He cried sharply, startled and disappointed. Slowly, he opened a trembling green eye to look up at the butler. To his shock though, the man was currently tossing his jacket aside, and was working on unbuttoning his vest.

"Tell me more about your probation, please," He said, throwing the vest to the floor. His shoes and socks followed shortly afterward. "And I can take you to the stars."

Grell's voice was shrill with utter desire and euphoria. "I-I was stalking someone. They punished me by stripping me of my powers and dropping me on a street corner."

Sebastian took off his shirt, undoing his belt as well. He noticed a fine trail of drool starting to curl down the man's jaw at the sight of his uncovered chest. Grinning, he pulled his pants off too, scooting closer to his captive in only his underwear.

"Good, good. Now tell me, have you ever done this with another man before?"

Grell shook his head rapidly, his cheeks flushed. He watched, his heartbeat abruptly doubling in speed as the man tossed his gloves aside, pressing three fingers to Grell's lips. Only slightly confused, he glanced up at the demon with wide eyes.

"Part your lips, dear," Sebastian instructed gently.

The brunette obeyed, opening his mouth as he was told. Slender fingers were slipped inside, pressing down lightly on his tongue. He purred impulsively, running the tip along the smooth flesh. Sebastian spread his fingers slightly, allowing the muscle to slide between them. Saliva coated the appendages as Grell continued to wet them, rather sure that he knew why he was doing it. However, a small part of his brain refused to believe it.

'_There's no way he's doing that. No way. That's way too good. This has got to be a dream,'_ He thought repeatedly, trying to convince himself that none of this was real. However, these words disappeared from his mind as the moistened hand was pulled away from his mouth and lowered down, stopping quite near to his tight entrance.

"Please spread your legs," Sebastian whispered. "And brace yourself."

One fingertip moved down to trace the puckered hole, enticing a squeak from the smaller male. It glided around the muscles, only wetting the outermost parts. After a few moments, Grell spoke up with a confused tone.

"A-aren't you going to…go inside?" He asked, his face reddening harder.

The butler was wearing a dominating smirk. "First, tell me something. Who was it that punished you?"

"Th-the Legislative Court. The Great Council. They're like the head judges of my region. They decide who is guilty and innocent of crimes and disturbances, and they decide how they are punished."

A long finger was slipped inside him up to the hilt. He immediately shrieked, feeling the tip so near to his prostate. The digit shifted and moved inside him, stretching the taut muscles. As the tract started to loosen a bit, a second finger followed, pushing his walls further. He moaned and pulled at the sheets, loving the filling sensation. It felt so, _so_ good, and he hadn't even gotten to the full extent of the sexual experience. Just being stretched was bringing him close. As the third finger pushed inside, he felt his stomach clenching again. They dipped into him, moving gradually faster and harder as his muscles started to adjust. The first few inches of his tract was being pushed and kneaded roughly, only enough to tease him to release. He was getting so close now, feeling those lithe fingers stirring up inside him. It almost felt dirty that something so foreign was prodding around in his body, and that turned him on badly. He bit hard into his lip, signaling that he was mere seconds from climax. Sebastian decided then to pull out, assuming that the brunette was now sufficiently loosened.

"Ahh…!" Grell uttered, his eyes half-lidded.

Sebastian chuckled darkly, straightening up onto his knees. "Now, now. I'm not letting you release until you tell me what I want to know."

The smaller man struggled for breath. "Anything. Just ask, I'll tell you."

"What did you mean when you said that your powers were stripped away?" The butler asked, slipping his thumbs into his own underwear. Slowly, he slid them down and off, bending gracefully to pull them around his thin legs. Grell found his eyes locked on the absolutely immaculate length poking up from between his thighs. It was slender and flawless, the skin beautifully flushed and slick with sweat. He swallowed hard, hoping desperately that when the lovely thing was tucked away again, it would be into his eager heat.

"I…" Grell began, his mind addled.

Sebastian moved back down to him, grabbing his legs and pulling him up a bit. Now the head of his own heated length was a hair's breadth from his entrance. He smirked down at the helpless man. "Well?"

"I…I'm not a human," The brunette replied.

The butler shifted forward so that he was pressed onto him. "What are you?"

'_Oh god! Oh _god_! I can feel him! He's so close! He's almost inside me! Ah, shit!'_ Blood started to pool just before the smaller man's nostrils. He bit hard into his lips, still unsure how much he should tell. "A Death Reaper."

Without warning, a thick shaft pushed right inside him, buried as far in as it would go. The head was ground hard into his prostate, making him scream out. He shouted repeatedly, desperate to regain the air that had been so quickly stolen from his lungs. No words would pass from his lips. Only incoherent sounds were even possible now.

'_He's inside me!'_ He moaned internally, so utterly blown back that his thoughts were foggy. _'Sebastian Michaelis is fucking me at this very moment! That long hard cock that I've fantasized so much about is right now_ in _me!' _It seemed he was grappling with his mind, almost trying to clarify to himself what was going on.

"How does that feel?" The demon whispered lewdly.

"Oh god…!" Grell breathed listlessly, completely consumed by pleasure. "So good!"

Sebastian shifted a bit, allowing the brunette to feel a small bit of movement deep in his body. "Would you like me to start moving?"

"Yes!" Was the choked reply.

"Then tell me a bit more," Sebastian instructed. "Who have you been stalking?"

Grell's lips moved without his command. "S-Sebastian Michaelis."

Unlike the information before, this seemed to genuinely surprise the butler. He paused, unsure of how to proceed. Though confused and startled, he was a man of his word. He pulled out slowly, until just the head of his pulsing erection was still inside the tight heat. Then he shoved in hard, inducing another loud shriek. He began pounding rather quickly, hitting Grell's prostate with every smooth thrust. The brunette was a complete mess in mere seconds, bucking and crying on the bed with absolutely no restraint. Pleasure dug its beautiful claws into his mind, tearing any thoughts to bits until they were just vague bites, floating through his subconscious aimlessly. Only this moment mattered right now, and nothing else. Sebastian was fucking him. He was on his back, and that sexy butler was over him, between his legs. Just those few hazy facts were coherent, and they were all he needed to know. He moaned and cried as his body commanded him to, and felt his climax coming closer and more powerful than it ever had before.

'_Yes!_ Yes!' He thought hotly, pushing himself forward to get more contact. _'More, please Sebas-chan! More, more!'_

Damp fingertips were suddenly felt against his neglected erection. He gasped sharply, the now immediate need for contact on that particular area becoming apparent. A fever spread out from every light touch to his shaft. He wanted to be gripped and stroked as roughly as the man over him could manage, but his wishes were not being fulfilled. The touches remained brisk and almost unnoticeable through the harsh thrusting. Couldn't he just touch a _little_ faster? Climax was almost in his grasp, he just needed a little more…

"Why were you stalking me?" Sebastian asked, evidently unfazed even by fucking something so tight and warm. His voice didn't waver a bit.

Grell replied without thinking. "For this! I wanted this!"

At the reply, the butler couldn't help but grin. "How lewd you are. You wanted me to take you so badly that you risked such harsh punishment? Your libido is unlike any I've ever seen."

Heated fingers closed around an even hotter length, starting a fierce pumping motion along the flesh. Saliva still coated his hand from his earlier ministrations, acting as lubricant for Grell's desperate erection. He screamed, the muscles in his stomach getting uncomfortably tight. Less than a second left. Just a few more moments and he would be spilling his hot seed over Sebastian's skillful hand. As the white void of climax filled his vision, a final question broke into his mind.

"What is your name?"

And again, Grell's body acted without direction. All resolve was lost. There was no controlling any sound or motion he made at this point, so the words flowed from his mouth just as naturally as the semen began to pour from his pulsing head.

"G-Grell Sutcliff!"

**Kage: Ooh, cliffhanger!**

**Hoshi: Unfortunately, the chapter following this had to be rewritten partially. You see, this story wasn't originally broken down into chapters. It was one big fic. And where we left off...well, we realized that the story didn't work there.**

**Kage: Yeah, we were shoving too much pointless and unrelated information into the story. It was kind of brain-assaulting.**

**Hoshi: So sorry about the delay in updating this chapter.**

**Kage: -scratches back of neck sheepishly- Ehh...it's actually been done this whole time, but we didn't have time to put it up.**

**Hoshi: That or we just forgot.**

**Kage: But please look forward to some more fanfiction!**

**Hoshi: Yeah! We're still working on it and many more!**

**Both: PLEASE REVIEW!**


	6. Heartless

**Kage: Finally, chapter six!**

**Hoshi: Sorry for the delay folks. We actually had to delete the last two-thirds of this fic and rewrite it.**

**Kage: Which creates, of course, massive writer's block.**

**Hoshi: But we are started on chapter seven, even if just a little bit.**

**Kage: So please review, and enjoy the story!**

The white-hot seed dribbled down his pale stomach, gushing from him more powerfully than it ever had. His body was electrocuted with the sensation, rendering him utterly broken and weak with pleasure. Brutal, thrilling waves of pure feeling jetted through his every nerve and pore. He cried over and over, unable to keep his voice down. Gradually, the noises grew quieter as his stress was vented. And after a minute or two, he was too exhausted to make any sound at all. He slumped back onto the bed, only able to breathe. Everything was silent for a moment as he struggled to slither back to consciousness. Nothing seemed amiss, everything was perfectly wonderful. That is, until he started to regain the feeling in his lower body. Sebastian had stopped moving. And even more unsettling, he hadn't released yet. Was something wrong? With most of his remaining energy, he lifted an eyelid, glancing up at the demon. The man did not look tired. He didn't even look compensated. In fact, the emotion on his face could only be described as livid disbelief.

"What did you just say?" He hissed, every word dripping with toxicity.

Panic flooded Grell's pleasurable little bubble before he could blink. A fresh wave of tremors broke out through his small wasted frame. He glanced up with misty green eyes, now quite afraid for his life.

"G…Grell…Sutcliff?" He chirped quietly.

The butler did not respond. He remained completely still, slowly drinking in those few words. As much as he didn't want to believe it, the horrifying truth began to set in his head. Grell. The obnoxious, psychotic, overly horny Death Reaper that plagued his very life. The person he'd interrogated was Grell Sutcliff. The person he'd been speaking so alluringly to was Grell Sutcliff. The person he'd practically pushed down and _fucked_ was Grell Sutcliff. His world melted around him. This couldn't be happening. This had to be some sort of bizarre mirage, induced by the lack of sex in his life. That was it. This was a hallucination.

"G…Grell. Sut…cliff…" He murmured, his eyes slightly wide.

'_It's real,'_ A voice in his head seemed to say. _'You're not imagining things. You actually seduced this repulsive man and did him on someone else's bed. You're even still inside him at this very moment. Open your eyes and deal with this before you faint from shock, Sebastian.'_

"No…oh no…" He choked, pulling away. An involuntary hiss escaped him as he was released from the man's tight heat. "No, no, no…shit, no!"

Grell, now more alert, watched him frantically gather his clothes, haphazardly pulling them back on. His eyes were wide with terror and his jaw was slack, adding to the now sallow appearance his face had recently acquired. He wasn't acting like Sebastian at all. Right now, he looked disheveled and disgusted with both the brunette on the bed and with himself. The greenish tint to his cheeks led the Reaper to believe that he may vomit.

"Hey, calm down," He said, trying to sound soothing. "You didn't do anything that bad."

The demon glared at him. "Not that bad? I just fucked you! You repulsive little slug! It makes my skin crawl to even look at you, and I just effortlessly committed the most carnal act in existence! I'm going to be ill in a moment if you don't get out of my sight!"

Tears started to brim on the man's eyelids. "I'm repulsive? You didn't think so a few minutes ago, before you knew who I was! You had your hands all over me, and you looked like you were quite enjoying yourself! _I'm_ a slug? What do you call yourself, you sick bastard?"

Sebastian swallowed, narrowing his eyes. "Shut your mouth, scum."

"How can you talk to me like that? After what you just did?" Grell sat up, his spine quaking with the effort. "You might find me obnoxious, and even repugnant, but that doesn't mean I don't have feelings. It really hurts when you say things like that, you know!"

The butler was utterly unfazed by his tearful words. "I don't care if I hurt you. You're not worth the effort to be polite to."

Hot drops curled down the brunette's cheeks. He bit into his lip, shaking with anger. "Well you want to know something, Sebastian? I'm bleeding."

"What?" The demon wondered, now quite confused.

To prove his point, Grell shifted from his spot on the covers. Beneath where his rear just rested was now a dark red spot, gleaming with swirls of milky fluid. Sebastian's eyes widened. More blood was spattered along the inside of Grell's thighs, and dripping down from a tattered entrance. The Reaper was trembling as he reached over to grab his skirt, using the inside lining to clean himself off.

"You didn't do that. Ellis did," He growled softly, wincing against the pain. "You know what he does to me? He ties me down and whips me. And cuts me. And he shoves things in here. Just…terrible things. Knives, candles, kitchenware …he pushed a fire prod in me, Sebastian. A fire prod! Do you know how much I bled? If I didn't have the sealant that the man at the pub had given me I'd be dead right now!" He set the skirt down on his lap, no longer really caring that he was still oozing blood.

"Wait, then why weren't there any cuts on your skin?" Sebastian asked shakily.

Grell reached into his skirt, digging around the dirty fabric. After a moment of searching, he pulled out a small bottle of a bright green liquid.

"Flesh sealant," He said bluntly. "You put it on a cut and it essentially fabricates new skin to cover it. Then it's like the wound was never there." A pair of green eyes narrowed. "I apply it inside daily, but I guess you hit a wound I couldn't reach."

Despite his usual overwhelming hatred for the man, Sebastian couldn't fight back a sharp feeling of pity. The poor brunette had been through an awful lot. Sure, he'd gotten in this situation because he was stalking the demon, but it's not like he didn't get the tar beat out of him every time he was caught. And really, this was a bit drastic. Even though Sebastian had been on an intense and important mission given to him, Grell hadn't gotten in the way of his research. He'd been a nuisance as he always was, but if anything he was a punch bag for the demon. Wailing on him vented a lot of stress, and could greatly cheer him up from a day of boring paperwork and pointless sleuthing. Sighing heavily, he patted the man's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Grell," He muttered, not looking the man in the eye. "I didn't know that you were having such terrible luck."

A pleasant blush spread across the brunette's face. "Thank you. I should think an apology was in order after how rude you've been to me."

The butler nodded, a bit put out but willing to try and make the Reaper feel a bit better. "My apologies for that too."

Grell tried to shift a bit closer, but whimpered at the now apparent pain in his lower body. Blood continued to flow from his ruined entrance, staining the sheets. He glanced down at it, biting his lip.

"That one must be in deep," He said softly. His face reddening, he pulled his skirt over his lap and struggled to slide a hand under it. Assessing the situation, Sebastian turned away, allowing the man some privacy.

The taller man cleared his throat. "Will you be able to seal it?"

Grell's face was contorted in dismay. He fought back squeaks of pain as he urged his index finger inside himself, still blushing violently. But even as he slipped it in up to the final knuckle, he could feel no wound.

"No, it's in too far." The brunette's voice was solemn. "And it's pretty bad, judging by the blood coming out. I've lost a lot already…"

"Surely, this isn't a problem, right?" Sebastian asked. "I mean, you're a nearly immortal Reaper. Blood loss shouldn't be enough to even faze you."

Grell chuckled a bit, glancing up at him. "Not now. I _was_ a nearly immortal Reaper. Until you finish your mission, I'm a human, and I can be killed by normal means. Let's just hope this stops bleeding before it's too late."

Sebastian could catch the fearful chill in the man's voice. Internally he sighed. True, Grell disgusted him and pissed him off on a regular basis, but one reason that he enjoyed beating him up so much was that the redhead wouldn't die from it. He could be as ruthless as he wanted and Grell would come out of it just fine. And better yet, it never deterred the Reaper's blind love, and he always came back for another thrashing. Though he hated to admit it, if Grell were to die, that would be detrimental to him. He rather liked having a punch bag. So as he watched more and more color drain from the helpless man's face, he suddenly knew what he had to do. He mustered up some courage, held back what he assumed was his lunch bubbling up in his stomach, and looked into Grell's solemn green eyes.

"Hand me the sealant, Grell," He ordered.

The brunette blinked at him incredulously, but obediently took the bottle out of the pocket in his skirt and placed it in his open hand. "What for?"

Sebastian swallowed, closing his eyes. His brow was furrowed, and his cheek was threatening to twitch a bit. "As much as I hate to admit it, it wouldn't benefit me for you to die. So just hold your breath for a moment."

He pulled the cap off the bottle, shaking the glass container until a small amount squirted onto his first two fingers. The lid was screwed back on and the bottle set on the floor. Sebastian knelt down, using his clean hand to push Grell's legs apart. He inhaled before quickly reaching forward, pushing his fingers into the crimson-stained tract.

Grell shrieked, squeezing his eyes shut. "Ah! Careful please, that hurts!"

Sebastian ignored him, moving in deeper. He was cautious not to waste the sealant on his fingers as he felt for the wound, not wanting to have to do this a second time. As the digits slid in almost as far as they could go, he was met with a rather thick pool of blood. He felt for the source, finding a vicious stab wound directly next to the man's prostate. Stomach churning a bit, he began rubbing the substance into the cut, surprised to feel it almost instantly beginning to remove the gash. The blood flow was ceasing, and artificial flesh was covering the open wound. Grell's soft cries and whimpers of pain went dismissed as unimportant, Sebastian simply wanting to finish the job without being interrupted. He kept pressing on the cut, noticing now that he could no longer tell where it was. Satisfied, he withdrew his hand, snatching Grell's skirt to clean it off with.

The brunette shakily opened an eye, watching Sebastian wipe the scarlet off of his hands. Grell's face was nearly the same shade of red. He spoke up softly, rather shocked that this event had even occurred.

"Um, thank you," He nearly whispered. "You may have just saved my life."

"It was nothing," Sebastian replied. He looked back at the smaller man, wearing a somewhat irked expression. "No need for urgency or anything, but won't your master be displeased that you've so badly stained his sheets?"

It took a minute for Grell to process these words, but as soon as he did, they struck a horrifying fear into his heart. "Oh shit! He'll murder me!"

He leapt up from where he sat, grabbing Sebastian's hand and forcefully pulling him to his feet. Then he tore the blankets off the bed. He cried sharply at the sight of a nearly identical puddle on the sheet below. This layer was stripped off too, but still more blood had seeped below this. Sheet after sheet was ripped away, leaving a pile of at least eight on the floor until Grell was down to the mattress cover. He pulled this off too, and the cotton pad beneath it, but with no success. The blood had soaked deep enough to stain the very mattress. The brunette began to hyperventilate, frantically searching for a solution.

"Okay, okay, I can fix this. I just need to change the sheets, that's all! I can burn these!" He shot to a nearby wardrobe, pulling the doors open. However, in his haste, the silver handle slipped out of his grasp. It slammed into the wall, cracking the wooden door and making quite a loud bang. He yelped, both angry at his clumsiness and terrified of the sound it had made. Sharply, he hushed Sebastian, despite the fact that the butler was making no noise. In the silence, he heard a distant voice.

Ellis suddenly perked up, glancing away from the conversation he was currently having with Finnian regarding the greenery outside his estate. Though he fought to hide it, an unmistakable scowl took the place of his once pleasant expression.

"I'll go see what that noise was. I just hope Iris is alright." He got to his feet. "Please excuse me."

He left the room, Grell catching his words despite how far apart they were. The bottom seemed to fall out of his stomach.

"I'm dead." He uttered, looking morosely at Sebastian. He appeared on the verge of wetting himself. "That's it. I'm dead."

Sebastian was not very worried given the situation. "I don't know. I think you might deserve a bit of punishment. You did trick me into having sex with you."

Grell couldn't believe the sudden heartlessness in the butler's voice. "You don't understand! He won't just beat me! He'll torture me! You've got to help me!"

A feeling of indifference set over Sebastian as he recalled what Grell had done. Granted, it was Sebastian that had insinuated the situation, but Grell knew damn well that if he'd known who he was, he never would've touched him, and he never would've bled all over the sheets. It was his own fault that he'd gotten into this predicament. And the demon was more than a little furious that Grell hadn't told him who he was until it was too late. He knew his fury was somewhat unfounded, but he clung to it anyway, preferring to go back to hating the man and offering him no sympathy.

"I've already saved your life once. I've had enough for today," Sebastian hissed, turning away from him. He started to walk out of the room, feeling nothing. However, Grell quickly grabbed the back of his coat, his eyes budding with tears.

"Please, you have to get me out of here! I can't stay with him! Please!"

He looked into the tearful emerald eyes, motionless for a long moment. Now mingling with his anger and desire to leave, he felt a suddenly powerful sense of regret. Almost as if he felt the need to help the idiotic Reaper. With a burst of will, he shook it off, pushing Grell away from him. Due to the pain in the brunette's lower body, his knees buckled, and he fell down onto them. Sebastian glared at him, shutting himself off from any thoughts that would lead him to change his mind.

"This is your own fault. If you weren't so clumsy or stupid, you wouldn't have this problem. Now learn to fix your own mistakes."

In a flash, he disappeared from sight, fleeing the room with inhuman speed. Grell simply stared at where he once stood, tears pouring down his cheeks.

"Seb…Sebastian…" He whispered, his body engulfed in an icy sense of emptiness and vulnerability. Now he had no one. No one to rescue him, to help him heal or comfort him from the further trauma he'd soon face. No one cared about him anymore. Not that Sebastian had ever cared about him in the first place. But Grell's everlasting flicker of hope, his unwavering belief that someday the man would begin to feel for him, was suddenly snuffed out. He was completely alone. And as this realization set over him, he felt all feeling evaporate from his mind. He closed his eyes and lay down on the floor, waiting for punishment as the shards of his broken heart settled in the bottom of his chest.

The butler slowed to a stop just outside the room where his master waited, adjusting his grimace into the usual fake smile that he wore. He stepped over the threshold of the doorway, looking around at the servants.

"Mister Vanderstelt has requested that we take an early leave," He said pleasantly. "Come, young master. Let us go back to the carriage."

Ciel nodded, getting to his feet. He briskly walked out of the room, his faithful butler falling into step behind him. The other three servants tailed along behind, eager to keep in step. However, Ciel cast them a glance over his shoulder, alerting them that they should keep a safe distance. They each nodded minutely, and their pacing slowed considerably. The bluenette looked up at Sebastian, his uncovered eye carrying traces of concern beneath his usual indifference.

"I could sense a lot of strong emotion from you through all that," He said quietly. "What were you off doing? Did you uncover anything?"

Sebastian kept his brow from twitching as he gave the child an emotionless smile. "Let's not discuss this now, sire. It's getting late, and I haven't even started dinner yet. We should hurry."

Ciel was not pleased by this response. "Sebastian, you don't have to tell me what, but I want you to tell me if you found out anything interesting. That is an order."

A long pause came from the demon as he considered. His policy not to lie held strong, but as he spoke he did not meet his master's eye. "Yes. I did."

The child nodded. "I'll ask for the details when we have more privacy. As for now, just drive the carriage."

Sebastian obediently climbed up into the front seat of the carriage, taking old of the horses' reins. Patience was apparently not something he could easily come by at this moment, as waiting for the others to board the vehicle made him uneasy. He wanted to leave this place as soon as he could. Halfheartedly, he tried to convince himself that it was because he wanted to be far away from Grell, but he knew deep down that this was not the case. Somewhere in his heart, it pained him to leave the annoying man to be brutally tortured. He couldn't understand it. He felt nothing for anyone, not even his master, whom he only protected for his succulent soul. But something about _Grell_ of all people being beaten and cut to within an inch of his life left the butler with an unsettled feeling. Rather than confront these feelings though, he chose to ignore them, not wanting to think too deeply on the subject right then. Once he heard the doors of the carriage close and lock, he lightly flicked the reins, urging the horses to start moving. The mansion began disappearing from sight, as well as the rolling hills and beautiful landscape of Ellis' estate. Sebastian kept his thoughts focused on the road as best as he could. But as the sun sunk further beneath the horizon, the world was splattered with a glimmering red light, and the butler couldn't help but be reminded of the blood that would be shed that evening. The same blood that had just moments ago stained his still dirty fingertips. His gloves shifted against the sticky surface with each flick of the reins. Almost as if the sliver of self-loathing he was starting to feel was haunting him, ever reminding him of the awful mistake he may have just made.

"Sebastian, are you alright?" Mey-Rin blurted, looking at him from the window.

The butler said nothing.

**Hoshi: -sniffling- Sebastian! How could you?**

**Kage: -patting her back- You wrote the story, idiot. Just wait, something interesting will happen next.**

**Hoshi: Thanks for reading! Please review and, -sniff- don't be too angry with Sebastian! **


	7. Senseless

**Kage: We apologize, this will be a rather short chapter.**

**Hoshi: Each chapter isn't written as seperate documents like they are for our story "Frozen in Flames". This is one big document that we usually split into chapters based on page breaks.**

**Kage: However, one appeared so early in this story that we just continued on and waited for the next one.**

**Hoshi: The next chapter has already been started, but we're a little busy with other storys and the approaching school year, so the wait for the next one will probably also be long.**

**Kage: We're sorry. T^T**

**Hoshi: Well anyway, enjoy!**

'_Am I supposed to believe that you gave your body to another, Grell? In _mybed_ of all places? You ungrateful, insufferable little roach!'_

Sounds could no longer be heard, yet were somehow still there. His right eardrum and a fair deal of the flesh had been scooped out with a dagger, the left slightly damaged but still somehow functional. Everything said to him was nothing more than a whisper, coming to him through his mind more than his ears. He stared at nothing through blurry, bloodstained eyes. Both were damaged, due to the peroxide that had been splashed into them. But still, somehow, they could see.

'_How dare you? After I'd given you a home, food, clothes! You belong to me! Me!' _A vague but painful tug was felt around Grell's head. Had he been lifted by his hair? How could it hold him? A good half of it had been ripped out… _'You have the insolence to soil my sheets and damage my room with your foul seed and your filthy blood? I'll murder you! I'll flay you until you bleed from every pore on your body!'_

'_Who are you?'_ The brunette wondered, wracked by agony yet so very numb. _'I belong to you? What a silly notion. I belong to no one.'_

Ellis threw the barely conscious man onto the floor, grinding the sharp heel of his boot into his gouged, ruined stomach. The sole twisted the soft flesh, stretching and tearing at the sinew until it began to split. More blood splattered the once pristine violet carpet of Ellis' room.

'_Please stop, that hurts…' _Grell's lips wouldn't move, only twitching slightly as drool and blood slipped past, soiling his already squalid face. _'No, please, I…I need…Sebastian, help…'_

Through his haze of blurred pain and thoughtless whimpers, a sense of clarity suddenly fell over that one thought.

'_Sebastian…'_

His mind was nearly destroyed. He couldn't even remember what had happened just hours ago.

'_Sebastian…my darling…'_

A small smile broke through his lifeless face.

'_Are you _grinning _at me? You…you foul little…! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!'_ Ellis grabbed him by the neck, squeezing hard. Fire burned in wild blue eyes that stood out glaringly beneath his disheveled, blood-soaked hair.

'_If I am to die,' _Grell murmured in his head, feeling all sense of sound and sight begin to leave him. Even breathing was no longer a necessity. _'Then I am happy that my last thought would be of you.'_

And as the hand tightened around his throat, a soft choking sound came from Grell's lips. But the smile never left his face, even as he felt the sensation of a final darkness overtake him.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX

"You were ordered not to kill him."

"I'm sorry, I just…I couldn't - !"

"You lost control of yourself. Be more careful next time. Should this happen again, I won't hesitate to send you back to the hell from whence you came."

"But - !"

A sharp whimper, followed by a soft thud.

"Silence!" A pause. "I am not new, but my powers are limited. To resurrect this man was no easy task, and I do not plan to do it again."

"Yes, milady."

"Good."

Grell did not stir. He didn't shift, or twitch. He didn't even open his eyes. Yet a powerful, glorious thought began to blossom in his head.

'_I'm…I'm alive?'_

Memories seeped in like a draft through an aged wooden door. Ellis had been beating him. Cutting him…gouging out, tearing apart…yet he felt no pain. Why did he feel no pain? Still he did not move, but he could sense that his body had repaired itself. Sounds were once again clear, and he could inhale without the taste of blood bubbling up into his ruined throat. In fact, breathing came quite easily to him. Was he in a hospital? No, what he was lying on was not soft, like a medical cot. Perhaps the floor? It was slightly cold, and he could feel the chilled surface against most of his body. He was naked.

'_Wait, am I dead?'_ He wondered. _'Maybe I've been taken to the afterlife. But who on earth brought me here? I'm a Reaper…I…'_

A sudden, terrible thought struck him. _'No…I'm not. I'm human.'_

He allowed, for just a moment, his eyes to flutter open. As soon as he did though, he quickly shut them again. His glance offered no information. All he could see was pure whiteness in every direction, emitting a light that came from nowhere. He was either in some kind of void or he had gone blind. Neither seemed a favorable circumstance.

The brunette's head was swimming. _'Humans can die. Humans die, they do. But not like Reapers…'_ He swallowed hard. _'No, but what happens to them? We harvest their souls, and put them into the Collective. But then what? I was never…never told…wait…' _The urge to cry out in fear suddenly hit him. _'Ugh, why didn't I pay more attention in school? Someone…someone had to tell me this! What will happen to me? Will I disappear? Will I be fed to the demons? What, what, what?'_

"It seems our guest is awake."

The reply sounded confused. "How can you tell? He isn't even moving."

A soft clicking met Grell's ears. Thin, high-heeled shoes stepped across an invisible floor, headed towards him. Even if he dared open his eyes, he could tell that whoever it was came from behind him, and it would have done him no good to look for them. He swallowed, struggling to seem as though he were still unconscious. Whether it be good or bad, something told him that he did not want to know what his afterlife would be like.

"Sit up, scum. You're fooling no one." A woman's voice, but rather unfamiliar. As if it were someone he'd been acquaintances with, but hadn't seen in a very long time. She kicked him, the hard point of her shoe slightly bruising his lower back.

He moaned softly, a bit from pain but also to test his ability to speak. No problems so far. "W…wh…" Now the only issue was thinking of something to say. "Who are you?"

The velvet palm of the woman's hand ran up his side, stopping to gently stroke his silky chocolate-brown hair. "Me? Him?" She gestured to the man with whom she had been speaking just seconds ago, though she knew he couldn't see. "Or do you mean yourself?"

This puzzled the brunette. "I…I don't know."

A soft, warm chuckle. "Don't you recognize my voice?"

Suddenly, he felt her arms wrap around him, pinning his arms to his sides. She tugged him upright, until he would have been standing. Rather frightened, he kicked his legs weakly. Though her feet touched the floor, his hung just below hers on thin air. As if she were on the edge of a cliff.

"Isn't this a strange circumstance, Grell?" She purred, holding him a bit closer. "In this moment, I hold your life. Your sanity, your identity, everything, all in the palm of my hand. I could drop you, but there's no telling how far you'd fall. Strange isn't it? You've just woken up, and your life is once again in danger."

Grell chanced it, opening his blurry emerald eyes. "Where am I?"

"Nowhere. And everywhere. Silly, isn't it?" The woman laughed, nuzzling into the back of his head.

"And…what is going to happen to me?"

"I know the answer to that one. Very well actually." She leaned next to his ear, whispering icily. "You will die."

Grell blinked, somewhat unfazed. "Am I not already dead?"

A long pause followed, then suddenly, the man behind them burst out laughing.

"He's not even afraid of you, milady!" His voice was gruff, but bright with mirth.

"Silence!"

The laughter ceased.

A cold, unfeeling glare was cast back at him before the woman's eyes returned to Grell, regaining their warmth. "You are alive, by my hand. And you will die, also by my hand."

"Now?"

She smiled, chuckling softly. _'My, you don't remember me at all, do you?'_

"No, not now."

"When?"

Her smile widened into a grin. "Soon."

"That's of no help," Grell replied calmly. Something about the way the woman spoke to him was soothing, despite the fact that he felt as though he was hanging a thousand miles above oblivion. "Everyone will die eventually. If my death is planned, I'd like to know the date."

The woman's cheek twitched, her tenderness flickering. It was regained, though, in less than an instant. "Think back a bit. It will be the five-year anniversary, won't it?"

Grell had not missed the faltering in her voice. A small jolt of fear struck him in that moment. "Of what?"

"You already know that!" She laughed, high and loud. However, it possessed none of the gentle humanity that she had been forcing into her words. It was icy, and made Grell's skin crawl. A fearful insanity assaulted the man's mind. Not his own. It was the woman that was holding him that was losing her mentality. It felt almost as if she'd had none to begin with.

"N-no, I don't! I don't understand!" He gasped, feeling her grip weakening. He was being loosened, about to fall to his second death that evening.

A loud whooshing sound, and a sharp tremor came from the woman that held him. He noticed the world around them beginning to darken, the white void blackening. The light that came from nowhere quickly faded, stealing his sight before he'd had the chance to properly make use of it. However, as the shadows enveloped him, he caught sight of the outlines of feathers, spreading around him. Wings?

"What's going on?"

The woman cackled, digging her sharp nails into the soft flesh of his arms. "Die! Die for what you've done, pathetic worm!"

Any warmth his blood had possessed was gone. He trembled, desperate to keep himself from crying in terror.

"Wh-who are you?"

And just for a moment, as if deliberately, a feather floated past his face, shining with its own light. Glowing like a falling star. It was identical to the feathers in the wings that wrapped around him, sprouting from the woman's back.

And it was not white.

Gravity suddenly pulled on his entire frame. He felt no wind, no rush, but he knew that he had been dropped. He screamed, in a horrifying, blind freefall, with nothing to catch him and nothing to let him know when he would near the ground. The sound of laughter, now both the woman's and the man's, met his ears, though it was fading fast.

"Enjoy the little time you have left!" The woman roared, still shrieking joyfully. "It is worth nothing for a pitiful creature like you!"

Their voices died after a short moment. Grell could no longer make a sound. He simply fell, afraid, unknowing of his fate, and unsure of what exactly would stop his decent. There was nothing around him besides the sensation of his body being tugged towards the ground far below. Or was it near to him now? There was no way to tell.

Without warning, he suddenly felt a sharp, instant agony overtake his entire shaken frame. Every bone in his body broke, shattering upon impact with the bottom of this empty pit. Blood gushed from his mouth as his organs burst inside him. His eyes were crushed. His brain imploded by his own skull. And just before he'd hit, just before his deadly impact with the solid, unforgiving ground, he had remembered the feather.

It had not been white.

It was red.

**Hoshi: AAAH! WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?**

**Kage: Please review! Reviews make more people read the story, and the more people that read it, the more inclined we are to update! You don't know how inspiring your words are to us!**

**Hoshi: Thanks for reading!**


	8. Lifeless

**Hoshi: Here we go! A good long chapter!**

**Kage: Just for you people out there that love us! All six of you! :D**

**Hoshi: We're uploading this at school, so the intro's gotta be short.**

**Both: Enjoy!**

Sebastian had his own quarters at the Phantomhive mansion, complete with a bed to dull any suspicions the rest of the staff had of his humanity. However, it was almost never used. He, as a demon, had no need for sleep.

That did not mean, though, that he did not sleep.

He had done his best to get the day's work done early. But even for a demon butler, tending to every aspect of not only caring for his master, but the house, the grounds, and running the main part of the Funtom company, took a fair deal of time. He'd only been left with a few hours at best to relax and unwind. It was rare for him to allow himself to fall into such a vulnerable state. He preferred to be on top of everything, and in charge of any and all disasters that may befall the young lord. Yet now, he was sprawled out on his neatly made covers, still completely dressed, with one hand pushing his bangs out of his tightly closed eyes.

'_You've got to help me!'_

No, not that voice again. This whole evening, no matter how thoroughly he distracted himself, the helpless, desperate cries of the Reaper he'd left behind resounded through his head. Even playing six rounds of chess with Ciel, who was very skilled at the game, did nothing to alleviate these thoughts. He was so addled that he had lost two of the games completely on accident, without letting his master win. When Ciel had beaten him the second time consecutively, he asked his butler if had been throwing the match because he didn't want to play anymore. And Sebastian had answered honestly, "No, sire. I seem to be simply out of sorts today."

His master, sensing a very unsettling feeling from his servant, had neglected to ask him about what had happened at the Vanderstelt estate the entire evening. Perhaps deliberately.

'_He won't just beat me! He'll torture me!'_

The man shook his head, rolling onto his side. "Just forget about it," He muttered to himself. "He can get out of a situation like that. It'd take more than that to kill him."

'_Are you so sure?'_ A nasty voice seemed to mutter in his ear. _'It'd be a fitting end, wouldn't it? Tortured to death for finally acting on that ridiculous libido of his.'_

He paused, swallowing. "He won't be tortured to death_. _He's a – "

'_A Reaper?'_ The voice mocked. _'Oh, he _was_ a Reaper, but not any more. Now he's just his sad little human self, as he was when he had served Madam Red those few years ago. It's a wonder you didn't recognize him.'_

A horrifying jolt of realization hit the man. Why _hadn't_ he recognized Grell? He remembered what his human form looked like, and the body he possessed now hadn't changed a single hair. Completely identical to his form back then. So why hadn't Sebastian immediately seen what was going on?

In his head, the strange, malicious voice snickered. _'Deep down, you knew it was him, didn't you? You wanted to sleep with him, but then you pretended you had no idea so you wouldn't feel responsible.'_

"Shut your mouth," Sebastian hissed, though the taunting was coming from inside his head. "I had no idea. But still, I don't know why I had no idea. This doesn't make any sense!"

'_You're loooooooosing it!'_ The voice sang.

Sebastian sat up on his bed, swinging his legs over the side of it so he could rest his elbows on his knees. "I must be. I'm talking to myself. I'm _arguing_ with myself. I need to drink less. Or perhaps more."

'_Don't kid yourself. You don't drink,'_ An almost cheerful tone had taken over the voice's words. _'And you're not talking to yourself. I'm not you. I'm not even a figment of your imagination.'_

"Yes you are," The butler replied. "I'm starting to crack from stress and guilt and I've subconsciously created you to help calm me down."

The voice snorted. _'Geez, how arrogant. You just can't stand being wrong, can you? I'm not you. You didn't create me, and I am just as real as anyone else in this mansion.'_

Sebastian was not scared, but somewhat annoyed. "Prove it then."

Without warning, the lamp just feet from the demon shattered, bits of broken glass and metal flying out like shrapnel. The butler, not as alert as he usually was, jumped, glaring at the bedside table. A few sharp shards of the lamp cut his skin as they flew by. Sebastian felt almost no pain, but with surprise regarded the scratches as being real. He was not frightened. However, he was now wary of the strange being that resided inside his head.

"Who are you? And how did you get here?" He asked gingerly.

'_I don't need to tell you that.'_ The voice giggled in what could be considered a playful manner. _'I'm your conscience. Demon consciences have a mind of their own.'_

"How stupid do you think I am?" Sebastian snapped.

A delighted whistle was the reply. _'Ooh, not at all your usual level-headed self, are you? Does it really bother you that much that you left that man behind? Or that you had sex with him? C'mon, it'd take more than that to shake you, right?'_

"I'm not in the mood for games," The butler hissed. "Tell me who you are."

'_Or what? You can't hurt me. You don't even know what I am! Or who or how or where! You're in no position to even attempt to threaten me.'_

Sebastian sighed, resigning to sprawling back out on his bed. "Fine. If I cannot interact with you, there's no need for me to acknowledge you."

A malicious chuckle came from the voice. _'You should acknowledge me. Just because you cannot see me does not mean that I'm not dangerous.'_ The eerie warmth of moist breath graced over Sebastian's left ear, as if the invisible creature were leaning down to whisper. _'I know everything about you, Sebastian. I've watched you for years. I know all of your secrets. _All_ of them.'_

"And why do I care?" Despite how calm he attempted to keep his voice, a small flicker of worry in his tone betrayed his indifferent front.

'_Because,'_ The voice hissed icily. _'You are not the only one I can speak to. Anyone around you can hear my voice. For example…the young master, perhaps?'_

This immediately caused Sebastian to sit up, swatting at the formless beast. He glared murderously into nothingness, now realizing that he'd lost his composure and struggling to maintain what was left of it. "You will not tell the young master of what I have been hiding."

A sickening giggle met his ears. _'Or what, Sebastian Michaelis? What will you do?'_

The demon ground his sharp teeth, a frustrated bloodlust starting to boil within him. "What is it that you want from me? What would you gain from revealing the truth to him?"

'_Revenge,'_ Was the simple, cheerful reply. _'But doing it suddenly would be completely boring. I want to make a deal with you, butler. A deal you can't refuse.'_

"I'm listening," Sebastian spat quietly.

'_You must take the young master to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. Travel to the very highest point on the structure, and I will be waiting for you with a message.'_

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "If you've got something to tell me, why not just tell me now?"

If it was possible to grin by simply speaking, this beast would have just done it. _'Ciel must see this for himself, not through you. Just tell him that a new lead has opened up, and provide no other information.'_

"If you know me so well, you should be aware that the young master won't stand for that," Sebastian explained, running a hand through his dark hair. "He will force me to tell him more, and when I can provide no information, he will decide that the lead is false."

'_Then give him this.'_

Suddenly, paper blossomed out of nothingness from an indent in the sheets. An elegantly printed envelope lay proudly upon the satin, bearing a lovely but unfamiliar red crest to the demon. He picked it up, pulling at the edge of the paper, but found it unyielding.

"It will not open," He blurted.

The voice sneered, _'It is for the young master's eyes only. He will understand it.'_

Sebastian was about to protest, but remembering the creature's earlier threat decided against it. His words were muttered through clenched teeth. "And if I do this, what do I get in return?"

The voice replied with an honest tone. _'Ciel will not know your secret. I will say nothing to him at all.'_

"Fine," The butler replied, lying back on the bed. He exhaled heavily, expecting a snide farewell from the voice. However, what he absolutely was not expecting was the beast's next words.

'_And as a courtesy, I can show you what has become of Grell.'_

Sebastian's eyes were wide. "What?"

'_You left him behind, didn't you?'_ The voice cackled. _'I can show you his current state. How he fared against his terrible master.'_

A deep desire to know Grell's fate was apparent within Sebastian, but he didn't want to immediately act on it. What good would it do to see Grell as he was now? To see him bloody and beaten, in a helpless mess? All it would do is increase the nagging guilt he fought to keep out of his mind. However, despite his reasoning, despite his common sense, his logic and all of his feelings on the subject, he quickly nodded, acting without mental direction.

"Show me."

Behind a nearby door, a light flickered on. A candle had been inexplicably lit in the bathroom, the only path into it being the one he was looking at now. An exasperated sigh escaped him as he got to his feet, walking begrudgingly to the door and pulling the handle. A blazing candelabra floated in midair, illuminating the dim, tiny room.

'_Fill the sink with water. Plug it and run ice cold water into it until it is filled to the brim,'_ The voice instructed.

Sebastian was dubious. "Why?"

'_Just do it.'_

The demon plugged the drain in the sink, turning the "cold" tap and unleashing a spray of liquid into the shallow tub. It pooled within the center of the indent, splashing lightly against the porcelain surface of the counter. He watched the clear liquid dance and swirl in the candles' glow, sending shimmering buds of warm light rippling across its surface. As the surface of the splashing water reached the very edge of the sink, Sebastian twisted the tap back off. Not a drop spilled, and the counter was perfectly level with the icy liquid in the basin.

'_Smooth,'_ The voice drawled.

Sebastian kept his dark eyes locked on the twisting reflections of the candlelight below him. "What must I do now?"

A soft chuckle met his ears. _'Tell the sink what you want to see.'_

"Are you trying to make me angry?" Sebastian snapped, jerking his head to glare into nothingness.

"Trust me, this isn't a trick. Just speak to the water." The surface of the calm fluid began to ripple again, bouncing in perfect circular waves from the center of the tub. "Tell it what you want to see. Who you want to see, Sebastian. Your darling Grell?"

"Shut your filthy mouth," The butler growled. He clenched his fists, staring down with loathing into the basin. A small shudder threatened to jolt through him as he fought with the nagging thoughts that haunted the back of his mind.

'_Why am I so concerned for him?' _He asked himself, this time the voice truly his own. _'He is a disgrace. A nuisance. A burden on my life. Why would it matter what has happened?'_

His eyes met those of his face reflected in the dark pool below, surprised to see traces of discontent in them. A light sigh escaped him.

'_I'll just see if he's dead and be done with it.' _The tone of his own musings even sounded a bit shaky. He drove the doubt creeping up on him away, fighting for his grip on composure. However, just as he opened his mouth to speak, a swift, harsh notion struck him.

'_What if he is dead?'_

Sebastian paused, his gloved hands gripping the chilled porcelain. With the icy water further cooling it, the smooth fabric was starting to become damp with perspiration. From the sink, not Sebastian's suddenly tightly clenched hands.

'_Then it is my fault he has died.'_ The thought was simple, unfeeling. _'I will cope with it as necessary, but not until I know for sure that he is not alive.'_

The voice made a noise as if to clear its invisible throat. "I'm waiting."

Mustering up a fair deal of resolve, Sebastian focused his attention on the shimmering water below him, speaking softly but with strength.

"I want to know if Grell Sutcliff has died."

Without warning, the rippling in the water grew harsh, splashing against the counter and splattering across the linoleum floor. The demon watched, baffled, as the liquid was violently thrown out of the basin, soaking him and the rest of the room. After a loud moment, the tub was empty again. He blinked, speechless.

"What was the point of that?" He spat towards the voice.

A tutting came from the creature. _'Patience, Sebastian. Just watch.'_

Evermore irked, the butler turned back to the sink, waiting. A quiet bubbling sound floated through the air, but he couldn't place its source. He wondered for a moment if the voice was trying to mess with his head again. However, as he focused his attention back on the sink, he noticed something strange about the tap. It was disappearing.

'_What?'_ He wondered, unsure of what was happening.

All around him, the room began to dissolve, melting away from where the water touched it. The walls, the floor, the mirror, tub, toilet…everything was vanishing into pure whiteness. Also splashed by the liquid, the clothes on his body fell away from him, leaving him bare and exposed. He glanced around, used to the strange and supernatural but still wary of what was happening to him. After what seemed like an endless moment, the final traces of the Phantomhive mansion fizzled out, and he was left standing in an empty white void.

"Explain this," He ordered, grappling for a sense of calm.

The invisible beast cackled, its voice seeming to have tripled in volume. High, cold laughter echoed through the nothingness, unfailing in its attempt to send goosebumps spiking up Sebastian's fair skin. He listened to it with bated breath, still seeing nothing but his own body in the whiteness. Now that he was paying closer attention he was starting to notice things about the voice. He had never considered just what the voice might be or who it might belong to, having no interest in something so blatantly annoying. It had a shrill, grating tone, matching no familiar person that he'd come into contact with. But now that he was listening closely, he could place something about it that he was puzzled to realize.

This was a woman's voice.

'_Calm yourself, butler,' _She cooed, still in the same voice she had used in him room as she had pestered him. _'You want to know if Grell has died, yes? Then let's see…the time now is 10:32 in the evening. You left the Vanderstelt estate at precisely 7:51. So I'm thinking…let's start at 8:04, shall we?'_

Thirteen minutes. Thirteen minutes after Sebastian had turned his back on the brunette, leaving him in his mortal body with whom he had described as a psychopathic lunatic. What could have happened in that short time? Would he have already been beaten and lying on the floor in a bloody heap? Would he be embarking on an agonizing torture session that would last well into the night? The butler subtly bit his lip, clearing his voice of the apprehension looming over him.

"That sounds fine with me."

The voice chuckled, mirroring its amused taunting from before. "Fantastic."

Just as quickly as the bathroom at the mansion had melted away, it was reforming around the demon once again. However, this was not the same room as before. It was larger, and brighter, with deep red sunlight dyeing the walls a lovely crimson. Shades of violet coupled with blacks and silvers covered every surface. Bureaus, tables and wardrobes littered the room, surrounding a large, elegant bed in the middle. A bed from which the sheets had been stripped, and a glaring red stain gleamed on the surface of the white mattress. And he noticed, out of the corner of his eye, that one wardrobe was cracked. The silver handle had jammed into the wood, as if it had been smashed against the wall.

"Ellis' bedroom," Sebastian murmured.

A soft whimper met his ears and he glanced down. Almost directly at his feet lay a thin, pale body, shifting weakly as it fought to fill its lungs. Shocked, the butler stepped back, his eyes wide. Long, chocolate-colored hair was strewn across the carpet, bits of it torn away and tossed onto another part of the floor. Blood gushed from numerous wounds of an unknown nature and dirtied the fair skin of the creature on the ground. As it breathed, each gulp of air bubbling with the remains of damaged innards, it let out a pitiful squeak, the pain causing it to react impulsively.

The butler couldn't keep his face from faltering as he swallowed hard, desperate to keep from losing the detachment from the situation that he struggled to uphold. "G…Grell…"

Hair obscured the man's eyes, but his cracked glasses hung loosely from his neck. A foul, sickly colored fluid dribbled from his mouth and puddled around his bruised cheek. Judging by the harsh looking marks on his stomach, Sebastian assumed that it was probably vomit. He winced, kneeling down beside the crumpled mess.

"What a degrading state to find you in," He said quietly, reaching forward to touch the man's shoulder. However, he found that his hand could not connect with the filthy flesh, but passed right through it. A twinge of annoyance struck him as he pulled away, getting to his feet again.

'_It's just an illusion,'_ He mused warily. _'I'm not actually here, I'm only viewing these events from a close standpoint. I doubt anyone will even be able to see me.'_

From down the hall, he heard the sudden pounding of rushed footsteps. The door burst open with a loud bang, partially drowning out the enraged howling of the silver-haired man that stomped through it. In his right hand he held a dagger, the clear metal glinting in the setting sun.

"Insolent! You disgusting, filthy little whore!"

A powerful kick was dealt to Grell's ribs, splattering blood onto Ellis' shoe and causing him to flop limply onto his other side. The silverette wasted no time, sitting hastily on Grell's arm and pinning him sideways to the floor. He was panting heavily, eyes wide and depraved as he surveyed the damage done to the poor man. With a snarl, he grabbed the brunette's head, tearing another thick bundle of his silky locks out of his skin. Grell whimpered loudly, casting a weak glance up at his master. His eyes were puffy and blurred, a stinging red tint to them. Ellis laughed madly, spitting into the smaller male's face.

"How's that peroxide feel? Does it burn? Itch? I've never felt it in my eyes before," He cackled, keeping his grip on Grell's head. He forced it onto the ground, gripping the dagger firmly in his hand. "Let's hope your eyes still function. If I'm going to have a servant who won't listen to me, I'll make sure they listen to no one!"

Sebastian impulsively closed one eye, the other barely open, at the bone-chilling scream that erupted from the brunette's ruined throat. The point of the dagger was jammed into his ear, digging and cutting into the flesh. Crimson poured from the gouged skin and down his neck and face, flowing into his mouth. Grell choked on his own blood as he continued to cry, sobbing and thrashing violently as his eardrum was cut out. Ellis grinned maliciously, tossing the gutted mess carelessly to the floor. He leaned down by Grell's face, knowing he could no longer hear from that side.

"Like it, little brat? This is what you get when you disobey your master!" Expression defaulting to a brutal rage, he gripped the man's hair, slamming his head roughly into the floor. "Get it, you stupid scum? You little shit?"

He growled throatily, twisting his hand into the soft locks. "Am I supposed to believe you gave your body to another Grell? In _my bed_ of all places? You ungrateful, insufferable little roach!"

Bodily, he pulled the man to his feet by his hair, shaking his mangled frame. "How dare you? After I'd given you a home, food, clothes! You belong to me! Me! You have the insolence to soil my sheets and damage my room with your foul seed and your filthy blood? I'll murder you! I'll flay you until you bleed from every pore on your body!"

Sebastian felt terribly sick. He covered his mouth, having difficulty watching. _'Just who is this horrifying man? Is he even human?'_

A sickening crack met his ears as Grell was thrown into the ground, his body crumpling against it. The only sound he made was an involuntary whimper, his lips too bruised and his throat too flooded for anything past simple sounds. Not that he had the mentality to form words at this point. Ellis snarled, driving the heel of his dark boots into Grell's soft middle. The skin split as he twisted it, even more blood curling from his flesh to ruin the carpet below.

Sebastian watched, heart hammering, as Grell's eyes suddenly moved. They rolled aimlessly across the room, ignorant of the pain his body was suffering. His lips twitched, struggling for speech. No sound escaped them, and Ellis was too distracted with destroying his flesh to notice. The butler though, ever observant and diligent, watched avidly, reading the words that Grell could only form with his lips.

'Please…I…I need…Sebastian, help…'

'_No…'_ The demon moaned softly in his mind, a heavy rush of horror sweeping over him. _'No, please…don't think of me, Grell. Don't beg for me. Not now. Not like this.'_

He choked on a shaky, dying breath as he saw an awful sense of brightness return to Grell's listless eyes.

'Sebastian…Sebastian…my darling…'

"No, no!" Sebastian pleaded, unable to simply think what he felt anymore. "No, Grell! Hate me! Please, oh god, why won't you just hate me?"

A smile…no, not…not that…but it was unmistakable. Peace had settled over the terribly damaged face, just at the thought of the man he so dearly loved.

Ellis' eyes widened with utter loathing as he saw the broken man's expression. "Are you _grinning _at me? You…you foul little…!" He roared loudly, his strong fingers closing around Grell's tender throat. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"

"No…!" Sebastian moaned, stumbling back. Though despite the utter horror coursing through him, he knew he could do absolutely nothing to save the brunette.

Grell's body was shaken again, his neck audibly cracking in Ellis' grip. However, he did not react. His eyes fluttered shut as air stopped flowing to his lungs, his face still holding that despicable, serendipitous smile. A soft gasp escaped his lips as the silverette's hand jerked, and Sebastian heard a loud crack that seemed to echo through the room. Grell was released, falling once again to the floor. Though this time, he was no longer breathing. And the demon could hear the desperate, weak fluttering of his heart suddenly cease.

"You…you…!" Ellis kicked Grell again, but found his eyes barely open and lifeless, his body completely unmoving. As the silverette slowly realized what he had done, he regained some of his sanity, his eyes widening in fear. He lightly touched the brunette's neck to feel for a pulse. Of course, not a flicker passed beneath his skin. "Oh…oh god, I wasn't…I wasn't supposed to kill him…" He got to his feet, quickly dashing from the room in a rapidly mounting panic.

Sebastian, on the other hand, slid to his knees, staring at the motionless heap on the ground. Disbelief still wracking his terribly shaken mind, he reached forward, trying to touch the still man.

"Grell…?" He said softly. "Grell?"

Even if he could have heard him, Sebastian knew that he would not have responded. He stared blankly at his gruesome, mangled corpse, hardly noticing as the world began to dissolve a third time. Rather than fading to white, the room he was in was simply replaced with the bathroom where he had began. The walls melted into tile, the floor shrinking, the sink reforming before him. As if for some repulsive dramatic effect, the last thing to leave the butler's sight was Grell, fizzling away once the entire Phantomhive mansion had reformed around him. Sebastian did not move from where he knelt, staring dumbly at the eye-level cabinet below the sink. His clothes swiftly materialized onto his exposed, trembling skin, but they did nothing to warm him. In the back of his numb mind, he caught the sound of the cackling voice reappearing to him.

'_So? What did you think?'_ She sneered.

Sebastian was shaking slightly, his lips pursed. He spoke with a heavily deadpan tone, an unbelievable feeling of guilt washing over him. "It's my fault. It's all my fault. If I hadn't been so stubborn, so proud, Grell may have lived. No…he would have lived."

The voice giggled. _'Oh, so remorseful. Believe me, that deplorable man truly died a miserable death this evening. 8:12 PM, June 25__th__. And you really did cause his death. Ellis beat Grell senseless, but he would not have killed him had you not tried to seduce the man. He would have lived had you help him escape from that lunatic. But you were selfish. Your disgust for that man was so strong that you left him to a cruel, pitiful death all alone.'_ A sickening cheerfulness was present in her tone. _'But hey, why should you care? That nuisance is finally gone! Now you can get on with your life, right? You've no reason to worry about him ever again!'_

Wordlessly, Sebastian got to his feet, walking as gracefully as ever out of the bathroom. His face had been adjusted to his usual mask of contentment. However, his eyes remained dim, swirling with the hateful emotions he harbored for Ellis. For Grell, for being so incredibly, disgustingly tenacious to the end. For having his idiotic love hold strong even in death. And for himself, for reasons he didn't even want to address. He stepped through his bedroom and straight out the door, heading down the hall. From behind, the voice called to him, almost as if it were still in his room.

'_Hey, where are you going? We weren't finished yet!'_ She shouted.

"It is unreasonably late, and the young master has not had his dessert," He murmured softly. "A Phantomhive butler who can't cook under such conditions is…isn't worth his salt."

He turned a corner down the hall, leaving the voice behind him. The letter it had given to him lay unopened on his bed. For now, he would ignore it, and give it to his master in the morning. There was no need to rush it now. Besides, he didn't want to have to think about why he had it. All he wanted to do was sleep.

But as a butler, sleep was just not something he had time for. And even if he got a moment alone, to drift aimlessly in his thoughts, he was afraid of what accusations he'd make towards himself. What agonizing, crippling things he'd end up thinking, all because he'd been too stubborn to help a nuisance.

Who would have thought that this a hell of a butler could make such a fatal mistake?

**Kage: -whimpers, hiding in a box- Bad Ellis! Bad, bad man!**

**Hoshi: And what was the deal with that creepy voice? Who is it?**

**Both: Please review! Thanks for reading!**


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